The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1887-05-25
iFof th6 evillo CITIZEN
Facts Versus q cfatrn5llctiOn
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/ Fof tba .evflc CITIZEN
Facts Versus q tlictiOn
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Editors Citizen Ina 9unicatlon
to the Metlodia ddrocd| N t(S 23rd, |
gave uttetance 70 some kuients, the
truth of which the Rev ~ Bays,
Pastor of the NJ. E Gh0th s50ulh, in
Asheville, N. @, denied " ln z FIVE,
/ column communication pS ilshedin the
daily CITIZEN of April l0 challenged
me to furnish the proof yoas daily
edition of Apfilf7 7th 7 rss dea to this
challenge underthe cap Ihe Proof
Eurnished,D giving IN careful,
and sincere manner truth, the
whole truth, and nothing th & truth.
as understood it.
In the daily GITTzRN q RE Ats inst
and weekly of 5th, Or. replies az
very great length and saws eyVery state
ment which Mr. Long nlaslin Els first
assault on me, in its logic and moral
bearing, is falseSani ills of furnish.
ing proof, he simply tsl < tbe ground
Iin . plausible way, and y furnished
aim is "a Iri.fs sSiSSfssSSiY u ] Slel III
s no 4 all. - further SSy,AI IS iUltols
purpose has been to deceite ASconrse
cannot be explained solely on Inet,ro1nd
of sec arian prejudice Something more
radical is the cause. The cause is either
wickedneSs or mOStpitiabIe aedknesS sin.
or insanity; malice or madness hardening
of thetIEART OR soFTENING OF THE BRAIN"
The italics and capitals are Dr. Bays
Now believe that no inanismore pain
fully conscious ofhis earthness and in.
perfections than Tam, but ain not con.
scious of having anything in my natural
disposition. temperament, or education
that would render me such d demon as is
described ii the above langaa,e Upon
cool deliberation do not believe DR..
Bays himself would consdertne snofl a
character as he has labored to make me
al pear to the world. Ii he should he
certainly possesses more of the divine
grace of the gospel than tic foregoing
quotation seems to indicate, for he SAYS
he forgive me. And now. with. all
due Difference to Dr. Bays honest con-
Victions, l emphaticallY affirm that
every statement in my reply to his
challenge" is true, and that in it there
is not the least attempt to eVade, distort,
minify or magnify any of the assertions
made in my original article to the Id
Uocate, but frank and manly effort to
set facts before the public as they appear.
ed to me.
Without any attempt or desire to sub.
stitute temper for truth, sensational
methods and a adramatic display of g
ital letters and punctuation mari
soun argument, and%mere asseI
posiSSa evidence, I,slnA. now p
shog the correctness of my
and to point out some of che
which DIR. Bays has fallen.
The most important statement
article to the Adgocate, and the one that
gives weight and strength 10 all The
others bearing on the points ip ql'r "a
is: "The NJ. e, ChurcLrtputh
tising its services inthe heI
habitually leaves tho. we'd
When challenged to .prova d
this statement dislRo by an
the files OF tliA. twopapers publ 1o
Asheville giving gregularnotices OF Chuto
services, viz: the daily CrTlzENs and the
Toun Ibpics, from. which pfOAaaed tha
following clear substantial sestiinony. In
copy Of the CITIZEN daily paper pub
lished in Asheville, dated September
26th, 1886, I find the following notice
standing first under the heading AsteviiLe
CheTch Directory: MethodiSt Episcopal
Church. Church Street. Rev. w. w. Bays,
morning services IL q. m; evening SER
vices u p. IN prayer meeting Wedn es-
day evening % p. u Sunday School 8
a. m. In looking over the 9iles of the
daily CITIZEN for 1885 the same notice
occurred in every issue ] exaniined, and
was told by one of the editors that the
same form had been used through the en-.
tire year The papers are there 20 6beak
for themselves, and l ask every interest
ed person to go and examine for them
selves. Those who will takethe trouble
to do 30 will find that the Ne B. Church,
South, was advertised as the Nj e church
more than three hundred tsmeS in one
newspaper during the year 1885,
The 10wn Topics is weekly paper
published in Asheville by a member Of
Bro. Bays Church. An appe9Fte the
files of this paper reveals the 1acts that
this word 'Soutl.' has been hsNtua,ly
left off in the advertisementOf tue ser
vices of the NJ. E. Church South; indeed
the 'burdensome' word did not occcur in
a single copy Of the incomplete Gle ex-
amined. In this case, as in the others,
l ask all interested parties TO examine
for themselves, and also get tie acknowls
edgment of the editor to the same fact,
as | did
In his last communicates DIR Baps.
being compelled to acknowledges the
truth of these statements, attempts 70
minify their Importance hy saying that
the leaving off of the word SsAtitlf is an
error mere inadvertencYs productive
of no evil. In his efforts, however. IT,
clear himself aud his church irom all
responsibility in connection with this
"error" he gives .unmistakable evidence
that he does see and feel its importance
To prove that he and his church are not
responsible for the omission of the word
South he says: "rhe editions ofall the
Asheville papers mentioned above have
made express statements in} the public
prints that they and not the NJ. B Church
South were responsible for any errors of
this kind" Now cannot Df. Bays see
that this is simply begging the question,
that it is mere statement Without the
least moral value or logical force? If
these editors are kind enougtlto to attempt
to shield their pastor in this manner, it
would have been true manliness IN their
pastor not to have availed himself of this
posed benefit unless he could have made
It evident that neither he nor any of his
members could possibly have corrected
these ''errors" during the yeSf and more
in which they daily appaarets,in the pub
lie prints of ,Asheyille. in hfs extreme
desile to free himself from the weighty
responsibility of these grave Serrors," it
doubtless has never occurred to DR.. Bays
that the statements made by these editions
is OF far more value to me than ii can
under any thoughtful and critical inter
pretation be to him. 1t is clear ac-